4-2 Worksheet Artifact Chart Project 1 Practice PDF

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4-2 Worksheet Artifact Chart Project 1 Practice...

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HUM 100 Module Four Worksheet This worksheet will serve as a practice activity for your Project 1 submission. Complete the worksheet by replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.   

In the first column of the worksheet, you will find the questions from Project 1. In the second column of the worksheet, you will find strategies and answers to those questions, based on an artifact from the humanities: the song "All Shook Up," written by Otis Blackwell and sung by Elvis Presley. After reviewing the strategies and the examples of answers provided, practice answering these questions in the third column, based on the artifact you chose for Project 1 in Module Two.

Note: You will be submitting your Project 1 artifact chart in Module Six, so take this opportunity to identify any questions you may struggle with and reach out to your instructor with any questions or concerns you have. Question (from Project 1) I. Describe the artifact in detail. For instance, how would you describe it to someone who could not see it? [You practiced this in Module Two.]

Potential Strategies for Answering Questions Your response might include basic and technical details about the artifact, such as its medium, who made it, where it comes from, and what area of the humanities it belongs to: “All Shook Up” is an American rock-and-roll song, written by Otis Blackwell and sung by Elvis Presley, recorded and released in 1957. The song is approximately two minutes long. You could also describe what the artifact depicts, what it is about: In the song Elvis sings about the symptoms that he is experiencing from being in love and how they affect him physically and mentally when he is both around and away from the woman he is in love with.

II. Choose elements of the artifact that you believe are most important to how you

Think about the senses you use to experience the artifact and the attributes that impact your senses: “All Shook Up” is

Practice Answers The Victorian mourning ring that commemorates the life of James Hurry is an 18k yellow gold ring, with a sweetly intricate filigree band that wraps delicately under the main panel of the ring. The main panel is bordered with black enamel, to signify someone in mourning. There is a slight chip in the enamel border on the lower right edge, commensurate with the ring’s age (183 years). Inside the black enamel border there is another gold border with more elaborate engraving that almost looks floral in nature and borders the glass piece that covers hair that is either light brown and greying or dirty blonde. The underside of this panel has an engraving that reads, “In Memory Of James Hurry April 25, 1837 Aged 55 Years” There are two elements that are most important to how I experience it. First,

Question (from Project 1) experience it and explain why. For instance, what particularly catches your senses or makes you want to keep experiencing it? Does the choice of medium impact your experience? [You studied elements of artifacts and how we experience them in Module Two.]

Potential Strategies for Answering Questions primarily experienced aurally, through sound, by listening to it, as it is a piece of music. Most important are the lead vocals by Elvis, but the guitar, drum set, and piano, along with other instruments, are also important to the sound. The chorus, “I'm in love/I'm all shook up/Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay” is particularly catchy because of the way it sounds. Consider the medium of the artifact, the way the medium affects your experience: When the song was released, it was originally a vinyl record, though it could also be heard as sound waves on the radio, and, today it can be experienced as an audio file on a computer. One can also locate video of Elvis performing it live. A person alive in the 1950s could have experienced the song live in person. This would be a different experience since he or she would have been surrounded by a lot of screaming fans. Music can be experienced in a variety of places, either socially (at a bar or diner) or alone, and what is going on around the listener at the time can affect the experience.

III. State your opinion on what you believe is the purpose of this artifact and the success of the creator in achieving the purpose. For instance, what message do you believe the creator is trying to express, and is that message successfully expressed? [You examined this in Module Two.]

Lastly, one can experience the song to some degree as a kind of poetry simply by reading the lyrics. “All Shook Up” is intended to present the physical and mental state of being in love, one of the big themes of human existence. However, the main purpose of this song seems to have been to entertain and to earn money for the artists involved and the recording label, RCA. The lyrics of the song are not highly profound, which suggests they are mainly there for the sound. The song is also quite short, suggesting it is meant to be a quick diversion. The song was successful in all of these purposes because it was at the top of a number of popular music charts for a month or more. This could be because it accurately captured the feeling of being in love and was therefore appealing to its audience, because the sound was catchy and danceable, or a combination of these things. Its success made money, and the song has remained well known

Practice Answers sight because the second I saw this ring I immediately felt connected and drawn to it. The level of intricacy and craftsmanship behind the very special ring is stunning, and the fact that it has survived for nearly 200 years with minimal damage is astounding. The filigree band is gorgeous and shows time, effort, and care. The carefully braided lock of hair set behind a small glass panel is unchanged with time. Second is touch. I love the energy I feel when wearing this ring; I believe you can feel how truly special it is and he was. Running my fingers across the smooth filigree band and enamel, feeling the slight imperfection in the enamel and the intricacy of the second section of engraved gold around the glass panel is incredibly satisfying. It feels like a treasure. The ring was meant to be a memento for someone who grieved the loss of their loved one. Whoever commissioned this piece from the creator very clearly cared deeply about James and did not want to lose his memory. Not only is the backside engraved with memoriam to James, but a lock of his hair is expertly braided and set behind glass for the wearer to see as a continued reminder as time went on. I wholeheartedly believe that the creator very clearly expressed a message of life, love and loss and truly

Question (from Project 1)

IV. Discuss how the artifact reflects the culture (or context) in which it exists. Be sure to address what aspects of culture have relevance for this artifact: politics, history, religion, social perceptions, technology, media, education, and so on. In other words, how do the artifact and its culture interrelate? [You learned about this in Modules One through Three.]

Potential Strategies for Answering Questions until today, so its purposes continue to be fulfilled. “All Shook Up” is part of the rock-and-roll revolution that took place in the 1950s and marked new developments in music. Rock and roll is uniquely American as it combines AfricanAmerican musical influences and country-western and folk. This combination reflected the breaking down of racial barriers in America after World War II, as people migrated to cities from all over the country, and, in fact, the creator of “All Shook Up,” Otis Blackwell, was an African American songwriter, while the song was sung by the white Elvis Presley. Songs of rock and roll exploded in popularity at this time because young people in the 1950s wanted to rebel against the strictures of the past. After the horrors of World War II, Americans also were looking for a sense of release and fun that was filled by songs like “All Shook Up.” Technology played a part in the growth of rock and roll too. It has been said that the grinding rhythms of rock reflect the sounds of machinery and automobiles that were part of industrialization in postwar America. The invention of instruments such as the drum set and electric guitar was essential for the sound of “All Shook Up,” and the growth of radio as a medium ensured its promotion to the public.

Practice Answers believe whoever received it would have felt the same. This ring and Victorian era mourning jewelry reflect the culture for which they exist. For the era, it touches on aspects of history, social perceptions, and customs. Mourning jewelry existed before the Victorian era; however, it peaked in the Victorian era because Queen Victoria was someone her people looked up to. Queen Victoria lost her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861 and became extremely depressed where she spent four decades mourning him. She dressed entirely in black and commissioned mourning jewelry, portraits, memorials, etc. If she did not have the influence she did on society, mourning pieces possibly would not have had such an impact on Victorians. Since this ring contains a lock of James’ hair, it is important to note that “Victorians believed that hair had a sacred quality because it contained something of the essence of the person. And because it was somewhat imperishable, it also symbolized immortality.“

V. Use the artifact to discuss how acts of creative expression impact and are impacted by the people and situations that surround it. How might the artifact and the person who created it have impacted each other? For instance, how might the geographic location where the artifact was made, the materials used to create the artifact, the medium of the creative process, or the environment where the artifact is displayed influenced the creator’s life or future creative work? How might the artifact and the culture or context in which it was created have impacted each other? For instance, does the artifact add to the understanding of the culture from which it was created? What contributions does it make to continuing on a dialogue about that culture and the importance of its artifacts? [You looked at these ideas in Module Three.]

I think that the ring would have made an impact on anyone who knew and loved James because it was a symbol that he was important to and loved by someone very deeply. Given that the ring was commissioned sometime after he died in April 1837, I believe the artifact would have had an impact on Impact on the culture in which it was created: “All Shook Up,” as both the creator and the receiver part of rock and roll, contributed to a wide range of cultural because it was created for someone in changes in the United States and worldwide. mourning. I would hope the creator felt a sense of pride and accomplishment The song was a hit on both the R&B and country charts in being able to help someone at one of America, demonstrating an appeal that crossed racial lines. It their most vulnerable times. Even has been said that the trans-racial nature of rock and roll helped though it is a piece of jewelry, it usher in the Civil Rights Movement. obviously gives us a small glimpse into The song is also overt in its sexuality (“Her lips are like a volcano someone’s story and shows that he was when it's hot”), which anticipates the openness of the sexual loved, and his life had significance to revolution that would begin in the 1960s. someone. I also think it helps us understand that we can still carry on The words of the song, which emphasize casual speech and the memory and spirit of someone who slang (“A well'a bless my soul/What'sa wrong with me?/I'm was important to us in ways that may itchin' like a man in a fuzzy tree”) also helped shape American now seem unconventional. For me, it everyday language. does continue the dialogue about that culture, but also our own. I think it Its popularity contributed to the growth of popular culture itself shows that it is important to grieve and and the massive influence of rock and roll on numerous facets okay to continue holding on to the of American life, from social behavior to fashion. memory of someone we’ve lost. Influence of geographic location on the creators: “All Shook Up” was recorded in Hollywood, and the commercial atmosphere there led to the promotion of Elvis as a star. He would appear on TV and in movies and became a celebrity and an American icon. Because of the success of the song, Otis Blackwell was hired to work for Elvis Presley Music in New York City, which contributed to his ability to continue writing influential hit songs.

Clearly, the example of “All Shook Up” shows that artifacts in the humanities can have a great influence on culture well beyond their own creation as works of artistic value.

VI. Pose questions you have after thinking deeply about this artifact. What more do you want to know regarding: a. The relationship between human culture and expression b. Your personal assumptions about artifacts of this sort and why they exist c. How your values have shaped and are shaped by your expression and that of others d. The relationship between the possible intent of the creator and your own interpretation of its meaning [You learned about this in Module Three.]

VII. Speculate on how you would go about answering these questions. For instance, what sorts of things would you study about these kinds of artifacts and their contexts that might begin addressing these questions?

What was the culture like when the song was created? How could the culture have influenced Otis Blackwell?

Why was there so much emphasis on symbolism for Victorian mourning jewelry?

How did the shift from memento mori symbols of the Georgian era to more sentimental symbols in the Victorian I know that Elvis was popular in the 1950s; why did he choose to era happen? sing this song? Would only affluent families be able to How might listening to this song shape the values of listeners in represent loved ones in this way? the time that the song was released? Why is this a not a common practice Would the lyrics have the same impact on the values of listeners today? if the song were released today? I would try to see if I could do research I would do research on the artifact itself and the history of the on James Hurry, first, to see if I could time. I could find biographies of the creators involved. I might look at newspaper articles from the time and books written on get a better understanding on who he the artifact and the culture that created it. I could also find was. I would also research other information on the influence of the artifact since it was created. mourning jewelry and the Victorian era to get a better scope on symbols, who commissioned mourning jewelry, etc. Additionally, I would try to find out reasons why the prevalence of mourning jewelry died down as time progressed. Why did Otis Blackwell write this song? What might he have been trying to express?

Resource: https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/antique-victorian-era-mourning-jewelry/#:~:text=In%20the%20end%2C%20perhaps%20mourning,one%20near%20to%20the %20heart....